The present invention relates to post-tensioning systems. More particularly, the present invention relates to encapsulated anchor systems which serve to maintain the tendon of the post-tension system in a corrosion resistant condition. More specifically, the present invention relates to corrosion protection tubes as used in conjunction with encapsulated anchors for such post-tension anchor systems.
For many years, the design of concrete structures imitated the typical steel design of column, girder and beam. With technological advances in structural concrete, however, its own form began to evolve. Concrete has the advantages of lower cost than steel, of not requiring fireproofing, and of its plasticity, a quality that lends itself to free flowing or boldly massive architectural concepts. On the other hand, structural concrete, though quite capable of carrying almost any compressive load, is weak in carrying significant tensile loads. It becomes necessary, therefore, to add steel bars, called reinforcements, to concrete, thus allowing the concrete to carry the compressive forces and the steel to carry the tensile forces.
Structures of reinforced concrete may be constructed with load-bearing walls, but this method does not use the full potentialities of the concrete. The skeleton frame, in which the floors and roofs rest directly on exterior and interior reinforced-concrete columns, has proven to be most economic and popular. Reinforced-concrete framing is seemingly a quite simple form of construction. First, wood or steel forms are constructed in the sizes, positions, and shapes called for by engineering and design requirements. The steel reinforcing is then placed and held in position by wires at its intersections. Devices known as chairs and spacers are used to keep the reinforcing bars apart and raised off the form work. The size and number of the steel bars depends completely upon the imposed loads and the need to transfer these loads evenly throughout the building and down to the foundation. After the reinforcing is set in place, the concrete, a mixture of water, cement, sand, and stone or aggregate, of proportions calculated to produce the required strength, is placed, care being taken to prevent voids or honeycombs.
One of the simplest designs in concrete frames is the beam-and-slab. This system follows ordinary steel design that uses concrete beams that are cast integrally with the floor slabs. The beam-and-slab system is often used in apartment buildings and other structures where the beams are not visually objectionable and can be hidden. The reinforcement is simple and the forms for casting can be utilized over and over for the same shape. The system, therefore, produces an economically viable structure. With the development of flat-slab construction, exposed beams can be eliminated. In this system, reinforcing bars are projected at right angles and in two directions from every column supporting flat slabs spanning twelve or fifteen feet in both directions.
Reinforced concrete reaches its highest potentialities when it is used in pre-stressed or post-tensioned members. Spans as great as one hundred feet can be attained in members as deep as three feet for roof loads. The basic principle is simple. In pre-stressing, reinforcing rods of high tensile strength wires are stretched to a certain determined limit and then high-strength concrete is placed around them. When the concrete has set, it holds the steel in a tight grip, preventing slippage or sagging. Post-tensioning follows the same principle, but the reinforcing tendon, usually a steel cable, is held loosely in place while the concrete is placed around it. The reinforcing tendon is then stretched by hydraulic jacks and securely anchored into place. Pre-stressing is done with individual members in the shop and post-tensioning as part of the structure on the site.
In a typical tendon tensioning anchor assembly used in such post-tensioning operations, there are provided anchors for anchoring the ends of the cables suspended therebetween. In the course of tensioning the cable in a concrete structure, a hydraulic jack or the like is releasably attached to one of the exposed ends of each cable for applying a predetermined amount of tension to the tendon, which extends through the anchor. When the desired amount of tension is applied to the cable, wedges, threaded nuts, or the like, are used to capture the cable at the anchor plate and, as the jack is removed from the tendon, to prevent its relaxation and hold it in its stressed condition.
A problem that affects many of the anchorage systems is the inability to effectively prevent liquid intrusion into the area of the unsheathed portion of the tendon. Normally, the unsheathed portion will extend outwardly, for a distance, from the anchor in the direction toward the dead end anchor.
In normal practice, a liquid-tight tubular member is placed onto an end of the anchor so as to cover the unsheathed portion of the tendon. The tubular member slides onto and over the trumpet portion of the encapsulated anchor so as to be frictionally engaged with the trumpet portion of the anchor. The opposite end of the tubular member will include a seal which establishes a generally liquid-tight connection with the sheathed portion of the tendon.
Unfortunately, various experiments with such systems have indicated that such xe2x80x9cfrictional en agementxe2x80x9d between the liquid-tight tubular member and the trumpet portion of the anchor is inadequate for preventing liquid intrusion to the unsheathed portion of the tendon. In common practice, workers at the construction site will not attach the tubular member to the trumpet portion of the anchor in a suitable manner. As such, liquid will eventually migrate through the connection between the trumpet portion of the anchor and the end of the tubular member. In other circumstances, because of the stresses placed upon the tendon, the tubular member will become disengaged from this end of the anchor. In other circumstances, workers will step on the tubular member during the installation of the anchorages such that the tubular member becomes dislodged from the trumpet portion of the anchor. In all of these circumstances, the xe2x80x9cfrictional engagementxe2x80x9d between the tubular member and the trumpet portion of the anchor provides an inadequate connection.
In the past, the present inventor has developed various systems of corrosion protection for such post-tension systems. Each of these prior inventions by this present inventor are represented by the following patents. U.S. Pat. No. 5,839,235, issued on Nov. 24, 1998, teaches a post-tension anchor system having a trumpet portion extending outwardly therefrom. A tubular body is affixed in snap-fit engagement with the trumpet portion so as to extend outwardly from this trumpet portion in axial alignment therewith. The tubular body has a seal at an end opposite the trumpet portion so as to form a generally liquid-tight seal with an exterior surface of the tendon.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,788,398, issued on Oct. 4, 1998, describes a connector for joining a corrosion-protection tube to an anchor of a tendon of a post-tension system. This connector includes a body formed of an elastomeric material and a seal formed interior of the body. The body has a first receptacle formed at one end thereon for attachment to an end of the anchor. The body has a second receptacle formed at an opposite end thereof for attachment to an end of the corrosion-protection tube. A seal is positioned between the first receptacle and the second receptacle so as to form a liquid-tight seal with a surface of the tendon passing therethrough. The first receptacle is an orifice that has a diameter suitable for liquid-tight engagement with an end of the anchor. The second receptacle is an opening formed in the opposite end of the body and has a diameter suitable for liquid-tight engagement with an exterior surface of the corrosion-protection tube.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,440,842, issued on Aug. 15, 1995, describes an apparatus for sealing an anchor. The apparatus includes a vessel member having a void and a rust inhibitor disposed within the void. A retaining member is permanently affixed to the vessel member whereby the retaining member is punctured by the tendon end upon placing the vessel in sealed communication with the anchor.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,770,286, issued on Jun. 23, 1998, teaches a seal for use on a tubular member in a post-tension construction. The seal includes a cap having a tubular body and a surface extending across the end of the tubular body. A corrosion-resistant material is contained within the interior area of the cap. The surface has a frangible area formed thereon. The surface extends transverse to the longitudinal axis of the tubular body at one end of the tubular body. The corrosion-resistant material is contained within the cap of a suitable volume so as to fill a void in the tubular member between the inner diameter of the tubular member and the outer diameter of a tendon extending therethrough.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,897,102, issued on Apr. 27, 1999, teaches a pocket former apparatus for a post-tension anchor system. This pocket former apparatus includes a connector arrangement which can extend over the unsheathed and sheathed surfaces of the tendon extending therethrough. A seal is provided at the end of a tubular member connected to the trumpet portion of the anchor so as to provide a liquid-tight seal over the sheathed portion of the tendon.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,023,894; issued on Feb. 15, 2000, describes a post-tension anchor having an improved cap connector. A polymeric encapsulation covers the anchor member and has a tubular section extending outwardly from this end surface of the anchor member. An improved cap is provided which has a generally tubular body with an open end and a closed end. The tubular section of the encapsulation includes an inwardly extending protrusion. A locking member is formed on the circumferential surface for detachably engaging the protrusion such that the flanged end is fixedly received within the tubular section of the encapsulation. A compressible seal is affixed within the polymeric encapsulation and extends around the end surface.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an anchor which includes a seal for providing liquid-tight engagement with a tendon extending through the anchor.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an anchor for a post-tension system which allows a seal to be placed easily onto one end of the anchor.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide an improved encapsulation for a post-tension system in which a seal member can be positively interlocked at an end of the tubular portion of the anchor encapsulation.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a sealing apparatus for a post-tension system which is easy to manufacture, easy to use, and relatively inexpensive.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a reading of the attached specification and appended claims.
The present invention is a post-tension anchor system comprising an anchor body having a polymeric encapsulation extending therearound, a tendon affixed within a wedge-receiving cavity of the anchor body, and a seal member affixed to an end of a tubular portion extending outwardly from the encapsulation of the anchor body. The tubular portion of the encapsulation is integrally formed with the encapsulation and extends outwardly from one end of the anchor body. The tendon has a sheathed portion and an unsheathed portion. The seal member has a portion extending around the sheathed portion of the tendon in generally liquid-tight relationship therewith.
In the present invention, the tubular portion has an interlock area extending therearound. The interlock area engages an interior surface of the seal member. In one form of the present invention, the interlock area comprises a protrusion extending annularly around the tubular portion adjacent to the end of the tubular portion. This protrusion engages an indentation formed on the interior surface of the seal member. In another form of the present invention, the interlock area includes an indentation extending around the tubular portion adjacent to the end of the tubular portion. The seal member includes a protrusion extending inwardly from the interior surface of the seal member. The indentation receives the protrusion therein.
In the present invention, the seal member comprises a first annular portion extending around the tubular portion and a second annular portion extending outwardly from the first annular portion. The second annular portion is in liquid-tight relationship with the sheathed portion of the tendon. The second annular portion has a diameter smaller than a diameter of the first annular portion. The seal member is formed of an elastomeric material.
In the present invention, the tubular portion has a length of greater than four inches extending outwardly from this anchor body. Preferably, the tubular portion will have a length of between four inches and six inches.
A plurality of wedges are in interference-fit relationship with the unsheathed portion of the tendon within the wedge-receiving cavity of the anchor body.